Method of making vehicle wheels



Aug. 18, 1936- c. E. SORENSEN ET AL METHOD OF MAKING VEHICLE WHEELSFiled March 6, 1935 INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES METHOD or MAKING VEHICLE wantsCharles'E. Sorensen, Detroit, and Laurence S. Sheldrick, Dearborn, Michassignors to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michu a corporation ofDelaware Application March 6, 1935, Serial No. 9,544

3 Claims.

The object of our invention is to provide a wheel constructionespecially suitable for use on automobiles, which wheel will have apleasing appearance, and which may be inexpensively manufactured.

A further object of our invention is to provide a wheel constructionwhich will have a higher strength to weight ratio so as to reduce theunsprung weight of the car without lessening the safety factor thereof.

Still a, further object of our invention is to provide a novel wheel rimconstruction which comprises two similar halves having reinforcingflanges thereon, these flanges serving not only to stiffen the wheelradially but also to form means whereby the rim may be secured to thewheel proper.

Still a further object of our invention is to provide a combination hubmember, wheel and brake drum which is adapted to be formed as a unitarycast iron or alloy steel casting, thereby eliminating several machiningoperations and the retaining bolts and rivets heretofore required tosecure these several elements together. An advantage arises from the useof a casting in that a more rigid drum with less weight is securedtogether with a better breaking surface.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in thearrangement, construction and combination of the various parts of ourimproved device, as described in the specification, claimed in ourclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of our improved wheel, viewed fromthe outer side.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of our wheel, viewed from theinside, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating an alternate rim constructionwhich may be used in place of the preferred rim shown in Figure 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, we have used the referencenumeral ID to indicate generally a wheel hub which is formed as anopen-ended tube having bearing races I I secured in the respective endsthereof. The hub is rotatably mounted upon a conventional spindle arm bymeans of taper roller bearings which coact with the bearing races II.The wheel shown is adapted for use as asteerable wheel; however, the hub10 may be splined or keyed to a driving axle shaft in the conventionalmanner.

Five spokes 12 are formed integrally with the hub l0, these spokesextending radially where they terminate in a ring l3 which forms the periphery of the wheel. Five lugs I4 are cast integrally with the ring l3and project radially: from equally spaced positions around the ring!These lugs are tapped to each receive arimretaining screw I5. Acylindrical brake drum' lt'iscast integrally with the ring I3, this drumextending laterally from the inside face of the wheelwand having aplurality of cooling fins formed around its periphery. g 1

From the foregoing it will be noted-that the hub ID, the spokes l2, thering'l3,fthe'lugs l4 and the brake drum l6 are formed as a one-piececasting, this feature contributing materially to the light weightconstruction resultinghlnasmuch as the brake drum I6 is machined bothinside and out, and inasmuch as the spokes I! are of a channel-shapedcross section, whichis easy to maintain uniform, very little metal needbe removed from the ring l3 in order" to place the wheel in runningbalance. I

We have employed.what'is'believed to be a novel rim construction, thisrim comprising a pair of similar annular'members I1 which compriserespectively the inside and outside'halve's of the rim. Each of thesemembers has a flange l8 extending radially and inwardly from its inneredge, which flanges are secured together to form the rim unit. This rimis of the drop center type having a channel l9 formedtherein around itscenter portion with bead supporting ledges 20 spaced on each side of thechannel and with the bead retaining flanges 2| forming the outer edgesof the rim. It is preferable to simultaneously roll both halves from oneflat ring of metal so that the inner edges of the flanges l8 areconnected; however, in order to give greater strength the flanges arewelded together by means of a seam weld 22 which extends entirely aroundthe flanges at the base of the channel l9. It will be noted that theflanges I8 are relatively deepat the bolt receiving openings and thatthese flanges are blanked out so as to gradually lessen in depth betweenthese openings. Adequate ventilation between the wheel rim and the brakedrum is thus provided without weakening the structural strength of therim.

We have shown an alternate construction in Figure 4 from which it willbe seen that the two halves of the rim are separated by a reinforcingring 28 of T-shaped cross section. The two halves of such rim may beformed separately or they may be formed, as previously described, butwith the entire inner joining edge of the flanges blanked out to provideseparate halves. The position of the tire casing and inner tube is shownby dotted parts of our improved evice without departing lines 29 in bothFigures -2 and4 from which itwill from the spirit of our invention, andit is our be seen that the ring 28 prevents the tire from intention tocover by our claims, such changes entering the pocket between theflanges. This as may reasonably be included within the scope 5reinforcing member is not believed essential for thereof.

passenger car requirements although it has ad- We-claim as ourinvention: vantages for use where heavier loads are carried. 1. Themethod 0! f0rmin8 a tire rim comprising In order to present a morepleasing appearance rolling a cylinder of sheet metal so that the endsfor the wheel, we have provided a dish-shaped or said cylinder form tirebead ledges and head cover 23jwhich coacts with a lip 24 whichproretaining flanges, the center portion or said cyl- 1o jectsirom theoutside edge of the ring II. The inder being rolled to form two inwardlyextendcover 23 is drawn from sheet metal and may be of mg flanges whichhave their inner edges conany desired shape just as long as it forms aclosure nected, and then welding the outer edges of said for the hub andspokes or the wheel. Inasmuch inwardly extending flanges and blankingout por- 5 as the brake drum I6 is provided with the conventions of saidinner connected edges. 15.

tional brake anchoring plate which forms a closure 2. The method offorming a tire rim comprisfor the inner side of the brake drum dirt isthereing, rolling a cylinder of sheet metal so that the by excluded fromthe space around the hub memextreme ends thereof project outwardly inaradial her and the bearings in the hub. The cover 23 is direction toform a pair i tire bead retaining 2 resiliently secured to the wheel bymeans of live flanges, the portions of said cylinder adjacent 2o springclips 25, these clips being secured to the to said flanges remainingsubstantially flat so as spokes of the wheel and having their free endsto form a pair of tire bead ledges, rolling the inadapted to coact witha bead 26 which is ionned tel-mediate portions of said cylinder to alesserdiaround the outer edge of the cover. It is only ameter than saidledges so as to form the well when it is desired to remove the wheel andbrake portion of a drop center rim construction, the 25 drum from thespindle that the cover 23 need be center portion of said cylinder beingrolled inremoved for in the ordinary tire changes it is only wardly toform two inwardly extending parallel necessary to remove the screws l5from the lugs flanges the inner edges of which are connected,

it to detach the rim. and then welding the outer edges of said inwardly30 In order to present a more pleasing appearance, extending flanges. I30 an annular bead 30 is expanded from the inter- 3 The method offorming a tire rim comprising,

mediate portion of the cover 23 and a stainless rolling a cylinder ofsheetmetal so that the ends steel cap 21 is snapped over the bead 26,the cap of the cylinder project outwardly in a radial direc- 21 havingthe appearance of the hub cap used on tion to form a pair of tire beadretaining flanges,

the conventional wheel. the portions 0! said cylinder adjacent to said35 Among the many advantages arising from the flanges remainingsubstantially flatto form apair i use of our improved device, it may bewell to o! tire bead ledges, rolling the intermediate pormention that wehave provided a unitary hub, tion of said cylinder to a diameter lessthan said wheel and brake drum construction to which our ledges to formthe well portion of a drop center improved rim is detachably' secured,thisstrucrim constructio the center portion of said cyl- 40 ture havinga greater strength to weight ratio inder being rolled inwardly to formtwo inwardly than is believed attainable with other structures.extending parallel flanges the inner edges of A further feature of ourdevice is that the rim which are connected, then seam welding the outerhaving a separately inwardly projecting central edges of said inwardlyextending flanges toflange resists radial loads better than when gether,and then blanking out portions of the in- 45 formed in the conventionalmanner. ner connected edges of said flanges.

Some changes may be made in the arrange- C S. E. SORENSEN. ment,construction and combination of the various LAURENCE S. SHELDRICK.

